Fantasy Upside
All reports are pointing toward Jonathon Brooks being recovered from his ACL injury by Week 1, and once he's up to full speed, he will have a clear road to the undoubted No. 1 option in Carolina. Technically, Brooks sits behind veteran options Miles Sanders and Chuba Hubbard on the depth chart, but it’s hard to imagine that will be an issue once the rookie is in pads. After all, the team traded up in the second round to grab him. He will be a big piece in the offensive resurgence for the Panthers after a very disappointing 2023.
Fantasy Downside
Though reports are good for Brooks hitting the ground running this season, his ACL injury happened in November. It would make sense if the team eases their newest running back into the fold, effectively keeping him on a "pitch count" through the first portions of the season. This would equate to a huge headache in redraft leagues as we try to figure out when to start him. The Panthers also had such a poor outcome last season that it's fair to wonder whether or not they will be equally ineffectual in Bryce Young's sophomore campaign.
2024 Bottom Line
The coaching staff has already proven that they want nothing to do with Miles Sanders, which should turn this backfield into a two-headed monster, eventually led by Brooks. The offensive line was bolstered by two big free-agent additions at each guard slot and Brooks should capitalize on that with a locked-in RB2 workload by season's end. It could take a while to see returns, but he could be a pivotal piece of fantasy playoff runs.
